DeCoulode declined to name the second player involved and was unclear on the circumstances leading up to the incident.

"It was one-on-one," DeCoulode said. He added, "We know who the suspect is."

Police would not say whether they had already interviewed the other player involved and declined to say whether charges might be filed.

The incident comes at a difficult time for Cal. The team is 1-8 (0-6 in the Pac-12) in head coach Sonny Dykes' first season and has lost 11 straight games to Pac-12 foes and 13 straight to teams in the FBS.

When asked about the incident Monday, Dykes declined to offer any official comment.

In addition to its problems on the field, the football program also posted the worst graduation rate (44 percent) among 72 major college football programs, according to statistics released by the NCAA on Oct. 24.

The incident happened after a workout involving players who don't travel with the team. Hale, a running back, graduated from Soquel (Santa Cruz County) High.